Mis Padres are in town!

My parents, Courtney and Bob hailed from Oregon and spent ten days with our family exploring Oaxaca.  After eight months not seeing family, it was so nice to hang out with them and share experiences in Mexico.  Also it was lovely to mix it up a little and have conversations with those other than my immediate circle.  We stayed in a sweet Airbnb that Mom found, and the space was perfect for our family!

We covered a lot of ground.  We visited the Botanical Gardens in Oaxaca city. Oaxaca state the most ethnically  and ecologically diverse state in Mexico.

We walked numerous cobblestone streets in search of great eating spots or markets.

Dwarfed by the 2500 yr old Zapotec marvel in the sky, Monte Alban.

 

We visited the widest tree in the world, El Tule.  A huge cypress, the main tourist attraction in this village.  These huge trees once covered the wetlands of this valley in Oaxaca.

We visited Mitla, the Zapotec site that is 1000s of years old.  It was disheartening to see how the intricate pyramids and designs of the temples were destroyed by the Spaniards in the 1500s.  An effort to destroy not only the buildings, but a people.

Grandma and Jack sharing a moment

We visited Hierve el Agua, one of two petrified fresh water springs in the world (the other in Turkey).

We did the walking tour of the many graphic arts workshops in Oaxaca city.  It was fascinating to see the printing process and exhilarating to be apart of this artist movement.

We shared numerous meals, one of our favorites at the Cathedral Restaurant. It was nice to be spoiled! 

cocktails at Las Danzantes to celebrate late Birthdays of Mom and Bob!

Pizza on the roof of Mezzaluna

Walking through the crowded market of Tlacolula de Matamoros and fingering all the wonderful handicrafts.  My mother and I have matching orange plastic woven bags that will outlive both us, they are so durable!

I was reminded how important family love is while watching my Mom and Addie walk hand in hand.  It was wonderful to see Bob and Jack tease each other and laugh at private jokes.  In our eight months of travel our children have not see other members of their family and this is what we miss most when traveling.  It was so special to share the experience of Oaxaca and create these memories. We love and miss them already!